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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: suit · wave · wake · march · cabinet · tear · scale · bore

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. suit — to fit
  5. march — the month
  6. scale — size or range
  7. suit — clothes
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. tear — from crying
  10. march — music
  11. suit — in cards
  12. tear — from crying
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. scale — in music
  15. march — the month
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. tear — to rip
  20. wake — a trail
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bore — to tire
  24. wave — of the sea

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com